October 2004 Bulletin

AAOS radio spots hit the airwaves

By Carolyn Rogers

A brand-new series of AAOS public service announcements (PSA) is hitting the radio airwaves, so the next time you flip on the radio for a weather or traffic report, don’t be surprised if you hear the words, “From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, I’m Dr. Tom Shives…”

Orthopaedic surgeon and professional radio host Thomas C. Shives, MD—a professor of orthopaedics at Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minn.—is the spokesperson for all 10 PSAs, which address a wide range of orthopaedic and safety-related topics. Dr. Shives currently hosts “Healthline,” a one-hour radio program that airs every Saturday morning on KROC-AM in Rochester, Minn.

The new AAOS radio spots, which have also been produced in Spanish, are being released one at a time through the February 2005 AAOS Annual Meeting. Select spots are being distributed to 400 Radio Health Journal affiliate stations; each PSA will be heard more than 400 times and will reach at least 2.2 million people. Some of the spots will also air on the Premiere Radio Network’s “The Dr. Dean Edell Show,” a popular radio program heard on more than 200 major stations in top markets nationwide. The PSA topics are:

“Backpacks” – This spot warns children and teens that wearing backpacks that are too heavy, or not worn correctly may cause pain in muscles and joints. It also offers tips for using backpacks safely.

“Ambulatory surgery” – This ad educates the public about the 3,500 ambulatory surgery centers in the United States. It describes their benefits and the various factors that determine whether outpatient surgery is appropriate.

“Alternative medicine/ Interaction safety” – “Some herbal supplements and surgery don’t mix,” this PSA warns. The ad provides some examples of adverse interactions and urges patients to talk with their surgeons about the health risks herbal supplements may pose.

“Sign Your Site” – This spot educates the public about the Academy’s “Sign your site” initiative, and provides patients with ways to become partners in patient safety.

“Preventing falls” – Each year, “730,000 people over age 65 are treated for falls related to stairs, bathtubs, furniture and carpeting,” this ad warns, and provides tips to help prevent fall-related injuries.

“New technology: Hip and knee replacement” – This PSA educates the public about minimally invasive hip and knee replacement surgery. It describes the benefits as well as which patients are the best candidates for this type of surgery

“Playground safety” – “Physicians treat about half-a-million playground injuries a year, including some badly broken bones,” this ad warns, and provides tips to help keep children safe on the playground

“Osteoarthritis” – This spot describes the causes and symptoms of osteoarthritis—“the most common form of arthritis.“ It explains various ways to treat the disease and slow its progression, including medication, physical therapy, weight loss and joint replacement.

“Get up, get out, get moving” – “Exercise not only builds strong muscles, it builds strong bones as well,” this ad advises. To build strong bones and avoid osteoporosis, children and adults are encouraged to “Get up, get out and get moving!”

At the conclusion of each PSA, listeners are prompted to visit www.aaos.org for further information on the topic.